Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY Car Set for Debut; M-Sport Confirmed

The Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY race car will make its global public debut on the streets of Berlin ahead of the ABB FIA Formula E Berlin E-Prix, the British manufacturer has confirmed.

Following the launch of the Jaguar I-PACE in March, Jaguar Racing will mark this historic moment for the new international production-based electric vehicle race series with a demonstration lap of the car on Sat. May 19 at the Tempelhof circuit.

The display will take place during the Berlin E-Prix showcasing the car to a global audience and to promote the championship ahead of the Season Five launch later this year.

The driver of the car in Berlin will be announced shortly.

“We are excited to reveal the new Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY race car in Berlin and demonstrate its dynamic capabilities for the first time,” said Jaguar Racing director James Barclay.

“The team at Jaguar Racing and Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) are building the key foundations for the incredibly exciting championship and we are pleased with the progress of our test and development program, which has included a successful tyre test with our partner Michelin.”

Jaguar has enlisted MS-RT, the race technology division of M-Sport, to provide on-track engineering and technical resource and deliver the ‘Arrive and Drive’ package for competitors.

In addition, current partner, Williams Advanced Engineering will support the eTROPHY series in various technical areas including vehicle control systems.

“We are really happy with the way the championship is progressing, and we are attracting more interest from teams around the world who want to be involved in this pioneering championship,” Barclay added.

“We would also like to welcome M-Sport, who bring a wealth of experience, expertise and professionalism to the team as technical operations partner for the eTROPHY.”

M-Sport’s deal comes in addition to its factory partnership with Bentley, which will continue in the Blancpain GT Series.

“We are pleased for M-Sport that their first foray into circuit racing with us is now leading to new opportunities,” said Bentley Motorsport director Brian Gush.

“I’m confident that they will continue to be focused on the delivery of our second-generation Continental GT3 to customers, ensuring that they maintain our outstanding reliability record to date.

“We wish them the best of luck for the project.”

Testing, Development Continues

Jaguar has carried out successful development tests alongside Jaguar Land Rover SVO in Warwickshire, UK, to engineer and refine the performance of the production-based race cars, which has included chassis setup, powertrain performance, energy management and aerodynamics tuning.

The eTROPHY development car has also completed its first shakedown at Jaguar Land Rover’s test track in Gaydon, England and initial tire tests with Championship Partner, Michelin in Ladoux, France.

Up to 20 cars will line up on the grid in some of the world’s great cities including Hong Kong, Rome, Paris and New York from the start of the 2018-19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship season, which is expected to kick off in December.

The full race calendar will be revealed later this year with further news on eTROPHY teams will be announced shortly.